


Among The Laden Trees

by moderatelybowling



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Season 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-10
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-11-12 14:12:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11163510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moderatelybowling/pseuds/moderatelybowling
Summary: Ed accidentally sneaks up on Jim in the woods





	Among The Laden Trees

**Author's Note:**

  * For [arose7575](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arose7575/gifts).



Jim’s the last one on the scene, everyone else gone back to the station to change out of their wet clothes and warm up with hot coffee. He's still stomping through the downpour, though, too stubborn to give up his search of the woods just yet. Too desperate to find some piece of evidence before the rain washes everything away.

He sloshes through the underbrush carefully, the leaves sliding under his feet and making it difficult to keep his footing. He’s still moving as quietly as he can, though, years of army training making him move efficiently and quickly even when he doesn’t need to, the roar of the rain covering up most of the rest of the noise he makes. Even through the thick foliage the rain is still dripping down and soaking him, rivulets of water slipping down his neck and and back. 

He can also thank his training for the way he stops in his tracks before he even consciously registers the sound of someone else moving in the forest, their feet far more clumsy than Jim’s. He rests his hand near his gun, ready to draw it in case the killer is still here, lurking in the underbrush.

He hears the tell-tale  _ crack  _ of a stick breaking behind him, and then he’s turning on his heel, his gun in his hand and his hand fisted in a shirt, shoving a body against the nearest tree, the thump of their back against the trunk drowning out their surprised gasp.

It takes Jim a minute to realize whose jaw it is that he’s got his gun pressed into, whose drenched shirt he has his fingers curled into.

“Ed? What the hell are you doing out here?” Jim quickly holsters his gun, the shock of having a gun pulled on him still clear on Ed’s face.

“I was just, uh, looking for more evidence. About the crime.” Ed’s wearing that nervous grin he gets whenever he’s confronted by aggression, stuttering out words like they’ll stop any physical blows from coming his way. “I thought that maybe there was something out here away from the main scene, and since the rain is coming down so hard it really can’t wait. I’m sorry for surprising you, I just-”

“Ed. It’s fine. Sorry about the gun.” Ed visibly relaxes at his words, and Jim feels guilty at scaring him so much in the first place. Ed’s jittery and nervous on the best of days. Jim really doesn’t understand who thought it was a good idea to give him a job surrounded by violence and aggression. “Come on, we can look together.” He starts making his way through the woods again, turning back to grin at Ed. “Wouldn’t want you sneaking up on me again.”

Ed smiles nervously back at him, blush still high in his cheeks from the shock of having a gun pulled on him and the cold of the rain. Probably from Jim’s continued presence, too. He can’t help but think it’s kinda cute, the way that Ed is always blushing and stuttering around him, way too much to be chalked up to his normal awkwardness. Even if he wasn’t a detective Jim would be able to tell that Ed’s got a crush on him with how obvious he is about it. He doesn’t mind, and now that Barbara’s officially left he’s even allowed himself to start looking back at Ed a little, grinning at Ed’s embarrassment whenever he catches him looking. 

They walk in silence for a while, Ed trailing behind Jim as they both search the surrounding woods for anything suspicious. Nothing turns up and Jim’s just about to finally admit defeat when there’s suddenly Ed’s giving a yelp of surprise as he slips on leaves, careening forwards and into Jim. Jim tries to catch him, but then he’s going down too, falling half on top of Ed in the underbrush.

He pushes himself up to his knees quickly when he hears Ed groan, bracing himself with a hand on either side of his head.

“Are you okay?” Ed just nods in response, still recovering from the scare. His whole face is red at this point, and Jim’s about to get worried before he realizes the position they’re in, him practically straddling Ed’s thighs and their faces inches apart. Jim can’t really lie to himself, Ed makes a nice sight beneath him, his cheeks flushed and hair curling from the moisture, a little smudge of mud smudged on his cheek.

Before he can think better of it Jim’s wiping it away with his thumb, Ed’s breath catching at the gentle touch. His eyes are wide behind his rain-splattered glasses, fluttering closed when Jim doesn’t move his hand away, tracing the curve of his cheekbone. And then he’s leaning down to press a kiss against his lips, Ed gasping and pressing up into the touch. 

Jim keeps it slow and soft, knowing that the woods aren’t really the best place to get too worked up. Ed seems fine with it, his hands coming up to grip Jim’s shoulders, trying to chase after Jim’s mouth when he pulls away. Jim smiles again at that, leaning back down to give him one last brief kiss before he climbs to his feet, offering Ed a hand to help him up.

Ed doesn’t say anything as he pulls himself up, just staring at Jim, too shocked to speak for a second time that day. Jim thinks he should be proud of himself-- usually nothing can shut Ed up. 

“C’mon, let’s get back to the station and get cleaned up.” Ed still looks nervous, unsure of how to react to what’s happened. Jim takes pity on him, curling an arm around Ed’s waist and pulling him close as they start to make their way out of the woods, feeling Ed relax a little at the sign of affection. “You could come over for dinner after if you want. I can’t cook much more than pasta, though.” Ed snorts at that, his arm coming up to sling over Jim’s shoulder.

“I’ll come over. I can cook, too. If you don’t mind. I’m good at it.” 

“Yeah?”

“Really good.” Jim laughs, and tightening his arm around him. Ed smiles back, and they make their way out of the woods in comfortable silence, content with the promise of dry clothes back at the station and a whole night together afterwards. 

**Author's Note:**

> honestly i know this is cheesy as all hell but i wrote it for a friend so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> title's from a james joyce poem  
> thanks for reading!!!


End file.
